Elon Musk has accused the United Kingdom government of wanting “any excuse for censorship” as a standoff intensifies over the safety protocols of his social media platform’s AI tool, Grok.
The tech billionaire’s comments came in response to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent demand that regulators “get a grip” on the chatbot following reports that it was being used to generate non-consensual deepfake sexual images and child abuse material.
Okay News reports that the backlash against X (formerly Twitter) is going global, with Indonesia becoming the first country to temporarily block access to Grok on Saturday due to concerns over human rights and digital safety. In an attempt to mitigate the issue, X recently updated Grok’s settings to limit image generation capabilities to paid subscribers—a move Downing Street officials dismissed as “insulting” and insufficient.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has stated she would support the media regulator Ofcom if it decides to block the platform for failing to comply with UK laws, describing the creation of sexually manipulated images as “despicable and abhorrent.”
Ofcom is currently undertaking an “expedited assessment” of the situation, holding the power to fine the company up to 10% of its global revenue or suspend its operations entirely if necessary.
